Left forsees preponed LS polls; for early Monsoon Session

New Delhi, Aug 22 (UNI) The Left parties today foresaw the preponement of the Lok Sabha polls in the middle of November, alleging that the UPA Government is bypassing Parliament instead announcing populist measures through executive orders.

They said the government was likely to hold a Monsoon Session in the middle of the next month to make some populist announcements in preparation of the preponed general elections which were otherwise scheduled to be held in April next.

The Left's observation came a day after the Congress ruled out such a possibility saying that the Lok Sabha polls would be held on schedule.

CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan and leader Shamim Faizi told UNI that it seemed that the government would hold the Monsoon Session in the middle of September to announce populist measures.

''Already the Cabinet has approved the revised version of the legislation to provide the social security to unorganised workers.

Some more populist announcements are expected in the coming weeks,'' Mr Bardhan and Mr Faizi said.

They said, meanwhile, the Opposition, including the Left, had also geared up to meet the eventuality of the preponed elections.

Yesterday, they said top Left leaders confabulated with the JD(S) chief H D Dewe Goda. On Sunday, the UNPA parties besides the BSP would meet to formalise their strategy for a coordinated campaign against the UPA Government as well as the general elections.

On August 25, the Left would join the consultations with these parties, the CPI leaders said, adding that a four-member committee comprising Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja, BSP General Secretary Satish Sharma and TDP Leader Yerran Naidu was set up to carry forward the joint campaign against the government.

CPI(M) senior leader Rup Chand Pal said the Left had demanded the convening of the Monsoon Session without further delay as the burning national issues like soaring inflation, internal security, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir and political instability in Jharkhand have to be urgently debated on the floor of the House.

''The country's overall situation is fast deteriorating, be it on the social, political, economic front all these have to be discussed appropriately in Parliament,'' the CPI(M) leader added.

Forward Bloc National Secretary G Devrajan, echoing the CPI leaders viewpoint, said the government was planning to hold the general election in November because it did not want to make a commitment on the floor of the House as these entailed allocations.

RSP Leader and Rajya Sabha MP Abani Roy said the government was bypassing Parliament for fear of debate on urgent public issues.

However, on the possibility of the general elections in November, Mr Pal and Mr Roy did not make a firm comment.

UNI KSA SW DS1546